Urgent help reqd

I want to make educational videos of timing 10-15 minutes using CamStudio. I am completly new to this software.Can anybody help - what all audio and video settings are the best for making these videos?I do not have external mic. So I am using internal mic of the laptop. Will that be good to use internal mic? If yes, then which settings will be best?When I tried to record the videos using internal mic, there is too much background sound coming? Can anybody help to remove that background noise?

Also, is there any built-in text editor which I can use with these videos? If yes, then plz let me know - how to use that.I tried to use MS-Paint. But found somewhat difficult to handle especially in writting the texts, since during writting, it creates the text-box, which I do not want. Please recommend any good software or, if built-in software is available, then how to use that?

Also, is it best to create .avi file or .swf file for these videos?

Also, which codec , I have to set in video options or audio options? If there is some good codec which I have to install, then let me know that.

Please help.

Thanks,Ashish

Comments

You are clearly working against several handicaps. I will try my best to help you.

If you only have an internal mic, get much closer to the mic and turn down its volume to help in controlling background noise. Be careful not to overload it. Talk so as not to breath or emit strong P or B sounds. If you record background noise that is ambient, this is your only way of lessening the effect. If your noise is constant like a buzz or hiss, you can lower it using the noise reduction utility in Audacity, but that one is rather crude and if over-used will make your audio sound like you are talking underwater.

Use Wordpad for text and make the text a very large font size for a simple way to make presentations. It comes with all Windows installations in the Programs/Accessories folder.

A free open-source "clone" of Microsoft Word and Powerpoint is made by Sun Microsystems, called "Open Office". Get that at http://openoffice.org - their Powerpoint clone is called "Impress" and is very capable.

Google Docs also has a presentation software, and as you are online, I imagine you can access that. http://docs.google.com

I tried the suggestion to lessen the background sound using internal mic, but it did not worked.Should I go for the purchase of headset which contains external mic. Please suggest whether using external mic will reduce the background noise.I want to make the videos in such a format that when somebody listens on internet, those should be crystal clear. Please comment.

Audio and video settings : I am certainly going through the link http://screencasttutorial.org for these settings. If I will have any question regarding those settings especially the audio (since audio is causing more problem in my case), then please help.

Text editing software : For me, it seems that goggle docs is the best presentation software as per your recommendation. Do you think that I should try "open office" for my first video.

I am not getting any option such as "Stereo Mix". I am getting only options sigmatel audio as the default input device. There is only 1 option available there.

Moreover under recording - I am getting only - external mic, internal mic and line in. Does that mean "stereo mix" is not available in my laptop. If I plugin the to-buy headset with microphone, will this "stereo mix" option be available?Sir, please answer to all of my queries.I am very keen to start my 1st video.

I have been busy and have not checked in to read posts over a few days.

Many laptops with Sigmatel soundcards do not have Stereo Mix or What U Hear available. The work-around is to buy a patch cord and patch the audio from your headphone jack into your line-in if you have one. Keep the volumes VERY low to start before you plug in the cable. The patch cord should not be a mere wire cable, but should have a resistor that lowers the signal level inline with the cable. Radio Shack used to sell a plug that did this. Otherwise, if a regular wire cable is your only option, keep the output and input volumes set very, very low and carefully raise them. This will not be very helpful if you do not have a line-in jack, however.

Most headset microphones feature a noise-blocking capability that helps very much in keeping out external noise.

Xvid requires that your video region be height and width both divisible by 2. If an odd number, you will receive that error. However, if you use the "fixed region" setting in 2.6 r294, the setting is adding one pixel, so for a desired region of 1280X720 (YouTube HD) you must enter 1279X719. Likewise for 856X420 you have to enter 855X419 (for 420p). Sorry about that bug, but it is one that came up from fixing a different bug and hopefully will be fixed in the next release.

Thanks for nice explanations. Today only, I made my first video using new headset. And, now, I am not facing the input background noise issue.Moreover, I am using SmoothDraw to explain the things. Kindly let me know if you know any forum for smoothdraw also in similar to CAMSTUDIO forum.Moreover, the newly created .avi files are too big to upload. Kindly suggest me best video converter software which can be used to converter those big .avi files into smaller files that can be uploaded in shorter time. Also please let me know whether it is best to convert .avi into .mp4 OR, .avi into .flv

Google for "Freemake Video Converter" or "Any Video Converter Free" - both are very good - get both of them! They are free.

Save in MP4 to upload to YouTube, though they accept AVI and WMV as their other preferred file types. .flv is useful only if your user will be playing these with a standalone viewer (not via YouTube, in other words).

Yes, I have watched your videos.Now, I have got one strange problem.I have made one video using .avi format. When I uploaded it in .avi format into youtube, then the images are getting tilted.Also, when I converted the .avi into .mp4 using "freemake video converter" and then uploaded the new .mp4 file into youtube, then also the images got tilted.I was not facing this problem earlier.Can you help me in getting these images correct?Moreover, when I watched the .avi file into windows media player, then the images are getting correct, but after uploading into youtube, the images got tilted.

Earlier, I was not having these tilted images problem and I was able to successfully upload 3 videos also which were functioning correctly.

Moreover one more thing.I played the video using Camstudio player also, and there also, the video is working fine with no tilted images.The problem is coming only after uploading.Please help me.I am urgently looking for your response.

You'll have to perform a crop in VirtualDub bringing the video to even dimensions in both height and width.

Xvid AND YouTube requires that your video region be height and width both divisible by 2. If an odd number, you will receive that "tilted" error.

Earlier I mentioned that if you use the "Fixed region" setting in 2.6 r294, the setting adds one pixel, but that has been fixed and only affects the "Window Region" now, so for a desired region of 1280X720 (YouTube HD) you must enter 1279X719 for a "Window Region". Likewise for 856X420 you have to enter 855X419 (for 420p).

For a "Fixed Region" you would select normal values, as there is no pixel being added.

Still, you have made that adjustment and got the tilt. Virtual Dub to the rescue. You must be in Full Processing mode, load the filter called "crop" and crop your video so that the values are even in height and width.

I am not using "Fixed Region" option and moreover, I am using Camstudio Lossless Codec. The reason for using camstudio lossless codec was that, if I use the xvid codec and draws a region before recording the new video, then camstudio shows an error related to the odd number of pixels, which I do not want any time. Thatswhy I had to use Camstudio Lossless Codec.

Moreover, I am using camstudio version 2.00Will the usage of camstudio latest version 2.6r294 will make any subtle difference to my video quality? If yes, please let me know.

As per my understanding,you want to say that I do not have to record my video again and use the virtual dub software to crop my video. Now I am going to google "virtual dub" and after downloading it, i will make the pixels to be in even number.

No matter what codec you use, YouTube wants the pixels to be even-numbered pixel measurements in height and width. Xvid won't allow you to use otherwise - I realized after posting later that evening that you must have been using CamStudio Lossless to not have received an error message offering to use the "default" codec instead (which is MS Video 1), as Xvid and other codecs requiring the even-numbered measurements warn you. CS Lossless doesn't, as it allowed any size region. But YouTube stopped supporting any size region and now wants even-numbered regions, or the video tilts.

I am thinking to use xvid codec since it will provide superior quality videos.When I draw a region using xvid codec and when either height or width comes in odd number of pixels, then it throws a error and uses the default codec (which in my case, is the camstudio lossless codec).I want that instead of throwing the error and using the default codec, do we have some option in the camstudio that it will use the nearest even number of pixels and use the xvid codec instead. I think that will serve my purpose better.

Moreover, if that option is not available, then what is the ideal value of fixed region value. I am making videos in hindi on the line of khan academy videos. So what is the fixed region value which I should put in camstudio so that they will look like khan academy videos.

Moreover, now in my new videos, all things are working fine but audio sound is not coming too good even with the use of headset. The background sound has gone out but the audio quality is not coming very good.Can you help in that regard also?

480p uses much less audio compression at YouTube than 360p does, so those videos recorded at 480p sound better. I always recommend recording using the audio checkbox "Use MCI Recording" checked, to keep sync under control and ensure the best sound. Watch this:

The "default codec" used if you click "yes" to the error prompt is most always MS Video 1, which is a terribly lossy and ugly looking codec that will allow odd-numbered dimensions. The problem is that YouTube does not like odd-numbered dimensions any longer, and might skew the video. Use a fixed region, with auto-panning if needs be, and avoid all these problems.

Also, this subject of sync is discussed in the 2-hour webinar video starting at 18:30:

This webinar was recorded using the built-in recorder in GoToWebinar, and has terrible sound, as they over-compress the audio (and video!) very badly. Your audio at 856X480 will sound much better than this!! I will be using CamStudio on a separate computer to record my webinars in the future.

Thanks Sir for your comment.I have already watched your video regarding "sync on audio and video" before your comment to watch that. Anyway, thats a very good video.I will watch your webinar tomorrow since it is too lengthy.Now, I have decided to use xvid codec and with fixed region 856*480I am facing some strange issue.I have downloaded xvid, camstudio codecs etc.

I think that one of these or, some other s/w related to camstudio is causing some problem. Sometimes, my laptop gets abruptly restarted. i think that the main culprit may be xvid or, some other s/w

One more thing.In one of your site, I found that with xvid, one should use xvidhd720 profile.But as per your suggestion, I will make 856*480 videos. But xvidhd720 profile is best only for 1280*720. Then which profile, I should use for my videos?

As far as Xvid goes, Xvid does not force you to stick with the suggested settings. What I would do if your computer is powerful enough would be to definitely record at 1280X720 to upload to YouTube, and let them create the smaller sizes. Otherwise, with a less powerful computer, use 856X480 with the Xvid 720HD profile. Alternatively, try the MPEG4 Simple @ L4a setting with 856X480 dimensions.

I am using external microphone for the sound recording. Now, I found that the best sound comes in two ways:1) Either I have to put the volume slider in middle for recording and i have to tick the option of 1 microphone boost under advanced tab.2) OR, I do not have to tick the 1 microphone boost but now i have to put the volume slider to its maximum under recording.

The second option is coming very good since it is not causing some hmm.. sound.But when someone listens the audio using second option, the volume of the recorded sound is not good. The quality of the sound is good.

Can you tell me some way so that I can use the second option for recording (without ticking the microphone boost and keeping volume to maximum in recording) but the volume of the recorded sound comes good.

Please do comment on this.I am waiting urgently for that, so that I can start my videos afresh.